Engine Swap 65 Austin Healey Sprite
 

ok i am new to the rotary world but i have always been a fan of them lots of power in small package...anyways i am droping a n/a out of a 91 convertable in a 1965 austin healey sprite and i want to know exactly how to get rid of the airpump i have done a search and read a few things but like i said i am new to rotary i want to know how much of that rats nest i can get rid of and if i need to keep the electronics and so forth if anyone can help me i would appreciate it...i will have no smog requirements so i am trying to loose all the weight i can

check the archive, a thread there covers pretty much everything.

i read the archives i can't seem to find one that says exactly what they dumped as far as the tubes, switching valves, weither or not i should wire them open ect. all the ones i read just say its bad and to dump it but do i really need the two valves? can they stay open or closed?

Will you be keeping the fuel injection, or switching over to carbs? You don't "need" the 5th and 6th ports - they only open at higher revs to get some more air/fuel into the engine. Holdiing them constantly open decreases low-end torque, which these engines don't have much of to begin with. One of the guys on this site has already done the rotary-into-a-Midget-conversion, so you may try searching to see if you can find it. You're going to have to change the rear axles/dif , too, as the Spridget's unit won't handle the 160hp form the rotary.

i want to run it as stock as i can without all the smog bs because its in the way so i will be using fuel injection and staying with the stock ecu....i know about the rear end my dad has a morris minor with a v6 that he kept snapping axles with

The guy's screen name is RX-Midget. Try searching that. He may be of some help to you, although he used carbs. The chasis/suspension work he did may be of interest to you. I believe he used a 9" narrowed Ford rear, and the RX7 trans with a shorter shifter remote.

hmm shorter shifter remote i was just gonna shift a little uncomfortable but i like that idea....thanks for all your help im gonna search him out for a few questions

the ports can be activated electronically (powered by electric air pumps)

fc3s.org has info on that i believe.

where are you located?
i have a 58 bugeye thats got a 13b turbo installed, you could come by and check it out ....might help you!

as far as the air pump goes, simply remove and discard..

im in vallejo and work in oakland i would love to come see your bugeye if possible

everyone just keeps saying dump the airpump! i got that part and i kinda understand how to use a electric one to make the 5th and 6th ports open what i don't understand is do i need all that tubing in the back?...do i keep the air assembly that the pump used to pump into? is any of this gonna set a check engine light? and so forth i got the basics dump the pump and use electric to open it but i just don't know abou the rest.....and as a side not i could not find a egr on my motor do i have one?

what idiot responses.


First off i am about to do this mod, i allready have ditched my cats. I dont know yet EXACTLY waht i need, but here goes. You need a dual altenator pully, and the block off plate.... both can be found on ebay.

The tranny/shifter issue can be resolved with the back half of a B2000 trans. Bolts together with the RX box and the shifter is about 6" further forward. It will come right up real close to the stock hole.

yah the stock tranny and the rx7 one only had 7 inches if difference so if its 6 inches more forward that would be great ill look for one this weekend.....but i am mainly looking on the airpump issue i don't know how to do it without setting a check engine light....also i was wondering about the pressure sensors in the assembly that the pump went into do those set a light...what about the switches that were used for the opening of the valves do i run the electric pump through those or is it better to use a rpm switch?...and if i unplug those does it set a light?

I don't think the airpump being removed will set off the check engine light. I have no airpump/emissions on my TII and the light doesn't flash at all....

I have a 13B in my '76 Midget. The info above on the B2000 tailshaft housing is correct and it ends up putting the shifter about in the stock location. I used a '84-85 RX-7 GSLSE rear axle. I had it narrowed to the stock MG rear length but went with a 4 link coil over suspension. The SE rear worked well with its LSD and vented disk brakes.

I don't run an air pump. I use a Weber 48DCO carb since the stock Mazda F/I system sat too high to fit well under the hood. My aux ports are wired open. I did some testing with them closed and open at low rpm (1K-3K) and I really didn't see much difference. I have a electric air pump an deverything to make them work, but it just seemed like something else to mess with on the car that wasn't needed. The car is light and it will pull through the low rpm's and when racing I'm usually never below 3K anyway.

Good luck with your project. It will be a fun ride!

double post

If you can somehow adapt the '91 Vert front brakes onto the car they are very good with upgraded pads. You can also pick up Mustang 8.8" rear ends for $100... but that may be overkill and will weigh a bit more than an FB '78-85 RX-7 rear end. It certainly won't break though.

Sounds like a very cool project. GrassRootsMotorsports did a very cool wide body 13B powered Austin Healty... or maybe it was a Triumph.

Good luck.. always cool to see engine conversions.

You didn't happen to buy the 13B from Dave in SF did you? His 13BT vert is pretty nuts now.

-Mark

Sorry to but into your post mr_myself, I have just come across a mk2a sprite here with fibre glass front and rear ends (bugeye style) and I am looking at dropping either a 12a or 13b extend port into it for a road car I can also race.

I still have to see if I can legally do the swap here in Australia, but I will be converting it if it can be road registered, so I would appreciate any information that you guys have on these swaps as I am getting very serious about this conversion.
I would prefer to do as little cutting on the shell as possible as I will already have to strengthen the back of the car (I intend to have a tilt back for boot space).
680RWHP12A, could you possibly send me some info/photo's of your bugeye, it sounds very interesting.
Any help appreciated.
David.

P.s. I so far have come across these rotary powered sprite/miget sites:
http://www.cool-screens.com/Rotary-MG_Home.html
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/v8_conversi...riankraus.html
http://www.etischer.com/
http://www.geocities.com/cd23c/cars.html#mg
http://members.aol.com/ursnoozin/myhomepage/auto.html